Thiel President Addresses Company’s Future

Thiel Audio Products president Kathy Gornik has issued a press release describing the direction that her company will take following the untimely passing of cofounder Jim Thiel. In her statement, Gornik said that the company will “forge full steam ahead” with the guidance of engineers who will follow standards set by their co-founder.

“While this is undeniably a very sad time for us at Thiel, having lost not only one of the best audio engineers in the world but also a great man who was so very dear to us, we recognize how fortunate we are that he left us such a rich legacy,” Gornik said.

Thiel president Kathy Gornik

She called Jim Thiel a “polestar,” who always insisted on the highest of standards in virtually every aspect of our endeavors.

“Rest assured, Thiel will continue to forge full steam ahead,” Gornik added. “We have enlisted a team of talented engineers who have been charged with applying Jim Thiel’s advanced driver, crossover, and cabinet designs to future products, several of which are already in the pipeline.”

The Thiel president also noted that Jim Thiel carefully documented all of his research and design parameters, giving the company three decades of achievements from which to base their future designs.

“Beginning with some very exciting new product introductions slated for 2010, Thiel will continue to showcase leading edge products that have been engineered and built to the highest standards,” Gornik said.

Thiel was founded of humble beginnings, crowded into co-founder Jim Thiel’s garage back in 1976. His early research helped pioneer the principles of time and phase coherent loudspeakers through the application of phase-correct crossover networks and time-aligned drivers.

Jim Thiel’s designs have also incorporated engineering techniques intended to reduce cabinet diffraction and resonances through the use of rounded baffles, heavy internal bracing, and the employment of such materials as aluminum, concrete, and marble. His research pertaining to subwoofer design has yielded three related patents, all incorporated within the company’s SmartSub line of subwoofer products.

Today, Thiel loudspeakers are freighted to more than 30 countries, with headquarters and manufacturing based in Lexington, Kentucky.